


a shot at love

by shxrogane (minsazucar)



Series: time isn't wasted (when you're getting wasted) [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Fraternity, Frat Boy Shiro (Voltron), M/M, Pining Shiro (Voltron), drink responsibly kids...., in which we are all matt holt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-02
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2019-04-17 13:00:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14189484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minsazucar/pseuds/shxrogane
Summary: “I’m gonna do it Matt,” Shiro smiled, just on the edge of too sharp. “I’m gonna woo him in time for Valentine’s Day. The ultimate commercialized expression of true romance.”Matt laughed. “Don’t get all philosophical on me man.”But he wasn’t focused on Matt anymore. No, he was already several pages into his mental plan to woo Keith in time for a Valentine’s Day confession....pining fratboy shiro you say?





	a shot at love

“Dude, are you even listening to me?”

Shiro startled at the feeling of something wet poking his ear. He whipped around and shot Matt a betrayed look.

“Did you just wet-willy me? What the _fuck_ bro-”

“I’ve been talking to you for the past, oh I don’t know, ten minutes? Did you hear a word I said?”

Matt frowned as Shiro stared at him blankly. Had Matt really been talking to him for that long? He hadn’t noticed, he’d been too busy… 

“Exactly. Also, you were getting that creepy look on your face, the one you get when you stare at Keith for too long.”

“Shut up, I wasn’t staring. I was… admiring,” he waved his hand dismissively.

“God, you’ve been pinning since last semester. Put us all out of our misery and ask him out already.”

As much as he hated admitting Matt was right… Matt was right. He’d been head over heels for Keith since he first sat next to him in theoretical physics last fall. It wasn’t his fault he was so smitten. Who _wouldn’t_ fall for those bright eyes, dark hair, raspy laugh… Shiro trained his face into a neutral expression before Matt called him out for being a creep again.

“I can’t just _ask him out_. It’s gotta be special… _Keith_ is special.”

“I’m gonna barf.”

He ignored Matt’s mock retching, mind drifting to what he could possible do to confess to Keith. Shiro knew it wouldn’t be just one, grand thing. His friendship with Keith, his slow descent from infatuation to something _more_ , hadn’t been just one grand occurrence after all. It was the sum of many little things, of stolen moments and private smiles. 

Alright, he was getting a little too poetic now. There was no time for that. He turned back to Matt with a new resolve.

“Valentine’s Day is Friday, right?”

“Uh, yeah?”

Matt frowned and Shiro nodded slowly. It was all coming together… 

“Uh-oh. You’ve got that look in your eye. You’re up to no good.”

“I’m gonna do it Matt,” Shiro smiled, just on the edge of too sharp. “I’m gonna woo him in time for Valentine’s Day. The ultimate commercialized expression of true romance.”

Matt laughed. “Don’t get all philosophical on me man.”

But he wasn’t focused on Matt anymore. No, he was already several pages into his mental plan to woo Keith in time for a Valentine’s Day confession.

 

♥♥♥

 

The morning air felt fresh against Shiro’s bare skin as he walked across campus. In his hands he carried coffee and bagels, enough for two, of course. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, he and Keith had the same morning gap hour between classes. Over the course of the semester, they’d made a habit of hanging out in the field outside the arts building.

Or rather: Keith would always be sketching outside the arts building, and Shiro found himself sitting next to him on the grass more often than not.

Today would be no different. Well, except for the coffee and bagels. That was new. Also, Shiro’s low cut muscle shirt… that wasn’t new, but it _was_ intentional. What better way to attract someone than to show off what you’ve got? That was part of today’s plan. Coffee and flexing. A sure fire way into anyone’s heart. It had never failed him before.

He spotted Keith in no time, sitting in the field, just like always. He was wearing a red flannel shirt, sleeves rolled up, and Shiro fought not to swoon. That was one of his favorite shirts.

“Hey Keith, I brought you coffee.”

Keith looked up from his sketchbook, squinting against the sunlight. He made a surprised noise but accepted the gift with a short ‘thanks’. Shiro sat down next to him, leaning forward in an exaggerated motion that was certain to dip his shirt even lower, exposing his chest.

“Architecture, nature, or people?” He asked with practiced ease.

After giving him a strange look, Keith lifted his book with a half-smile. “People.”

Shiro asked the same question every day, because Keith drew the same practice sketches every day. Shiro hummed as he took in the sketch, impressed as always. He would never stop wondering why art was Keith’s minor when he was so talented. But then again, if they didn’t share the same Physics major, they might have never met. He wouldn’t take that for granted.

Keith turned the book back to himself after a moment, starting a new quick study of a couple across the courtyard. An idea struck Shiro and he moved into Keith’s line of sight, interrupting his work.

“Keith, try sketching me.” He smiled and then sprawled on the grass, flexing in an exaggerated manner.

“Draw me like one of your French girls.”

Keith put down his sketchbook and gave him another strange look. Shiro held his pose, but he couldn’t deny the cold sweat forming under his snapback. Keith definitely didn’t look impressed. He looked a cross between worried and vaguely amused. He finally seemed to settle on a response, scrunching his brows in thought.

“You okay? You’re acting weird today.”

“Oh- uh, am I?” He sat back up, stretching in another covert flex. “Yeah, I’m fine. Totally.”

“Okay…”

Keith drawled his response, unconvinced, and went back to his sketchbook. He didn’t seem to spare Shiro another glance, not in the way he’d expected. Not in the way he wanted.

Shiro deflated, cheeks tinted pink with embarrassment. It wasn’t working. In hindsight, he’s not sure why he thought flexing would suddenly work. It seemed that defaulting to his usual flirting methods wasn’t going to fly. He needed a better plan for tomorrow. Today, he had to abort mission.

He was so busy sulking that he didn’t notice the appreciative glance Keith threw his way, as he started sketching a new portrait. This one, like many others stowed in the back of his book, would never be seen by Shiro. Not yet.

 

♥♥♥

 

Wednesday was a day of new beginnings. Shiro strut into his evening astronomy class, the one he shared with Keith, ready to charm his friend over the next two hours of lab.

His plan? A page full of space related pick up lines that one of his fraternity brothers swore would work wonders. And who was Shiro to believe otherwise? After all, Lance had been dating Allura for months now. So he obviously had a better idea of what to do than Shiro did.

Shiro sat in his usual seat, all casual confidence and nonchalance in his sleeveless hoodie and snapback. That was, until Keith showed up, wearing a pair of ripped jeans that wiped every clever line from Shiro’s mind. He looked back up to Keith’s face. His lips were moving. Shiro hadn’t heard him. A bead of cold sweat rolled down his temple.

Not knowing how to proceed suddenly, he scrambled for a pick up line, any line to save him.

“H-hey Keith, uh, are those pants from outer space?” 

“What? No?”

“Oh, hah,” Shiro laughed, eyes flitting between Lance’s notes and Keith’s confused expression, “because uh… because they’re out of this world.” 

Wrong. The line was _supposed_ to say ‘because your ass is out of this world.’ But Shiro choked at the last second, fighting not to blush like an idiot. He cringed, looking away with an awkward laugh. He didn’t want to see Keith’s reaction.

“Alright…” Came the eventual reply, slow and tinged with confusion.

Shiro fought not to groan, tucking the page of pick up lines behind his actual astronomy notes. He was temporarily saved from further embarrassment by the timely arrival of Dr. Coran. Class began and Shiro let himself get swept into the false security of his professor’s enthusiastic lecture. But that buffer wouldn’t last forever. 

This was, after all, a night lab class. Which meant lectures were short, and hands-on work with their lab partners took up the rest of the night. 

Dr. Coran wrapped up his instructions, which Shiro had failed to absorb, and then he was left once more at Keith’s mercy. Ever so slowly, he turned to look at his friend, surprised to see Keith already watching him. His mouth went dry.

“Shiro, you okay?”

“Totally, of course. I think I zoned out though. What are we doing?”

Keith rolled his eyes playfully, but didn’t hesitate to launch into an explanation even more thorough than Coran’s. And honestly, that was one of the most attractive things about him, just how _smart_ he was. Who was even allowed to be that funny, and smart, and attractive, and kind-

“Shiro, are you listening?”

He blinked and sat up. “Yup! Let’s start making some charts.”

While Keith set up their station, Shiro skimmed over Lance’s notes again, trying to find a suitable pick up line. The more he read, the further his heart sunk. He was going to _murder_ Lance. He couldn’t use any of these on Keith, not when 90% of them had crude references to Uranus, and god this was the worst idea ever-

“So, Keith, ever wonder what’s happening under Orion’s belt?”

Shiro held his breath, gauging Keith’s reaction as it shifted from confusion to consideration, and ultimately to dismissal.

“Not really. Is it part of our assignment?”

Shiro’s breath escaped in a wheeze. It was going to be a long night.

 

♥♥♥

 

 **[Shiro]:** _so I’ll see you at the party tonight right?_

 **[Keith]:** _Of course. Wouldn’t miss it._

**[Shiro]:** _cool cool. Chill. Super chill. Ice cold._

**[Keith]:** _Shiro._

Shiro held his breath, staring at his phone. The little gray dots appeared, then disappeared, then appeared again as Keith typed. 

**[Keith]:** _Never mind. See you tonight._

Shiro released his breath. He sent back some random emoji and threw his phone on the couch. Keith had probably been ready to ask if he was feeling alright. It was something Keith had asked multiple times these past two days. Where Shiro had been _trying_ to flirt, he had only come off as weird and probably ill, considering Keith’s lackluster response. He was at his wit’s end here. 

Shiro had never struggled this much to get a date. But then again, Shiro had never felt as deeply for anyone as he did for Keith. A firm slap to his back snapped him out of his musings.

“Bro, you got that mushy look in your eye again. Daydreaming about Keith?”

“Shut up Matt. Not in the mood.”

His friend whistled low, clearly amused, but backed off.

“Listen man, and I mean really, _listen to me_.”

Shiro looked up, and no, he was _not_ pouting. Matt ignored the pathetic expression.

“Shiro. Flirting isn’t going to work. You and Keith are _way_ beyond that point. Straight up, you just need to literally tell him how you feel. Like you gotta spell it out for him man, literally spell it out and save us all from this suffering.”

For all his dramatic mutterings, Matt was actually being serious. Shiro gave him a wary glance, but didn’t have it in him to argue anymore. Deep down, he’d known this all along. Keith wasn’t the kind of guy that would fall for him with a smile and bicep flex. 

“Well, the party starts in an hour. I’ll just… leave you here to sort yourself out.” 

With a final pat on the back, Matt was gone and Shiro was left to wrestle the nerves fluttering in his ribcage. He mentally ran through scenario after scenario, mulling over the best way to confess the full breadth of his feelings.

As the noise of party preparations and the smell of alcohol filled the frat house, Shiro knew there was no real guarantee he’d actually be able to remember all the words floating in his head. He ran up the stairs to his room, digging out a sheet of paper and writing like his life depended on it.

A love letter? Really? This was sappy to an extreme Shiro never thought he’d reach, but Keith was worth it. That’s what he told himself as he folded the paper into his awfully tight jeans, before skipping back down the steps and into the kitchen. The party would be getting started soon. Keith would be walking through that door, looking stunning as always, and Shiro would have to find some way to confess without making a fool of himself.

So of course, as the first few guests filtered into the house, he lined up a variety of shots and downed them all in quick succession. 

Tonight would be the best night he wouldn’t remember.

 

♥♥♥

 

Shiro squinted against the bright light filtering through the cracks of his curtains. He felt like he’d been hit by a train, twice, and then dragged through the desert for 10 miles. His mouth was dry, his throat sore, and everything hurt. There was the unmistakable aftertaste of vodka and bile in his mouth. He opened his eyes and sat up, immediately regretting it. The world was still spinning. 

What _happened_ last night?

Frat party, yeah. Taking a line of five shots, the beginning of his mistakes. Alright. Oh, Keith showed up, in those horrible ripped jeans and Shiro’s favorite red flannel. He’d lost count of how many more shots and vodka sours from that point forward. At some point, he must’ve blacked out. His memory was splotchy, and all he could hope was that he didn’t do something embarrassing, like puke on Keith or something. But then something else occurred to him.

He sat straight up, wobbling slightly, and patted down his pockets with urgency. The letter, what had he done with the letter? It was gone.

Before he could let his mind wander to all the horrible, embarrassing possibilities, his answer came strutting into his room, carrying coffee and McDonald’s. Keith wasn’t wearing the same clothes from the night before. No, he was wearing a pair of Shiro’s sweats, rolled up at the bottom, and a loose t-shirt. Shiro’s hungover brain couldn’t process these details quickly, so he ended up just gawking at Keith’s ankles.

But his dumbfounded state didn’t stop Keith from walking forward, sitting at the edge of his bed with a smile, and placing a light kiss on Shiro’s cheek.

“Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Shiro stared at him, maybe about .5 seconds away from spontaneously combusting, when Keith laughed and rolled his eyes.

“You don’t remember shit, do you?”

Shiro shook his head and Keith sighed, exasperated but, miraculously, also endeared. This had to be a dream. But then Keith reached into his sweats and pulled out a piece of paper, crinkled and stained with alcohol.

Shiro’s letter.

“You were pulling all sorts of crazy stunts last night. But the kicker was when you collapsed in my lap and shoved this in my face, before literally passing out.”

Keith had a twinkle in his eye, one that made Shiro feel just the slightest bit less mortified. Because it meant Keith liked him back. Keith had read the letter, with a blackout drunk Shiro in his lap, and decided that yeah, the feeling was mutual. He, for some reason or other, also liked the stupid frat boy. Liked him enough to stay the night, then fetch him coffee and greasy hash browns to soothe his hangover. 

Shiro didn’t think it was possible to fall even more in love, but here he was. Falling even deeper.

“Now, go shower. Brush your teeth. Wipe that dopey look off your face. Then come back so I can finally give you a kiss.” Keith murmured the last part, looking away in a show of uncharacteristic shyness. 

Shiro’s heart nearly burst. He scrambled out of bed so fast… _too_ fast… his feet not finding the floor in time to save himself from face planting. Keith’s raucous laughter followed him all the way to the restroom, but it was like music to his ears. Nothing had gone as planned, but the best things hardly ever did.

Best. Valentine’s. Ever.

**Author's Note:**

> this took longer than i meant, but it's done!! i might add a second part to this au, just to tell the story from Keith's POV, because the antics Shiro pulled while drunk....were amazing and it hurt me not to include it in this story lmao
> 
> let's just say there were lots of hand stands, shameless compliments, and Cardi B serenades involved.
> 
> anyways, thanks for having patience with me! hope it fills your need for some frat au for now~
> 
> support me on tumblr [@fratboyshiro](https://fratboyshiro.tumblr.com)!


End file.
